An array of mini-takes - Clair et Present Banger
Rewatching Jujutsu Kaisen - remains 10/10 imo
I previously watched it on my own last year, my partner wasn't that interested in another high-schooler punchy boy show and I went in otherwise completely blind and loved it. Recently I convinced her she should give it a try, and she got hooked on it pretty quick.
What she's been much better at expressing than me is how confident the writing all feels - characters get to be who they are without ironic smirks or lampshading, and that lets them act on their internal motivations in a really sincere way.
I hadn't watched JJK 0 last time, just missed it from the viewing list, but it's also an excellent bridge between seasons. It's a little hard to justify two prequels in a row, but this does a good job of it. Really poignant stuff, and throughout both prequels they set up a lot of parallels with the present-day cast - showing alternate worldviews or motivations to avoid the trap that "whatever the protagonists believe is correct."
This had us slowly coming to the belief that Anime is the only visual medium left that's willing to do actual sincerity.
Started playing Clair Obscur - 10/10 so far
Then I played the opening of Clair Obscur, and holy shit is it sincere. Perhaps overly so, but I'd much rather they take the swing than hold back out of embarrassment. Whether or not I found it excessive, it sets the scene for the game extremely well.
I'm 10 hours in just starting Act 2 and I'm comfortably of the opinion that the devs are in control of the story, that I can stop trying to predict what's going to happen next - they've got this in hand.
What a fucking video game.
If I had a criticism to draw, it's that their character designs are not the most distinct. The women are all built very similarly, but the men are even worse - all with the same kind of dark hair, beards, and builds. It's not game-breaking, but it does make it hard to tell if people look similar on purpose when they all look the same.
Expanding my Japanese Indie music experience
After getting really into haku. I've branched out a tad, giving proper listens to multiple bands that the algoriths spit out alongside them. I need to do something a bit more proactive than that, but this is a start.
Currently the main events have been Necry Talkie, Split end, and Lucie,Too.
Of those, Split end feel like they've hit the least success on the platforms I can easily access, but I think TEENAGER might be my favourite song I've heard this year. The EP it comes on feels like an exploration of that sound, but imo it's the only song from it that really nails the energy it needs, midnight moon is kind of a more lowkey approach to the same vibe and it doesn't work half as well.
idk it's hard to put my finger on why these bands are appealing right now, but I'm enjoying music a lot more than normal.
UK TERF (April 2025 wave) update - Brigitte Empire video
I mentioned in the last array that the UK Supreme Courts had done a bigotry, and that I'm not supremely well placed to speak on it. Brigitte Empire has done a good summary of events, which has enough distance in time from the ruling to cover the full context and fall-out while also having a view to the future of the situation.
There's some room for optimism that this might get struck down via the European Human Rights court, but it relies on a lot of institutional powers looking to undermine the UKSC at a time when that's not really politically appetising. Some path is better than no path, however.